1 hour ago
3
MILAN — The Sweden-Finland rivalry returns to Italy on Friday, nearly 20 years after one of the most memorable gold medal clashes in Olympic men’s hockey history unfolded in Turin.
Most players on each side can recall exactly where they were when Nicklas Lidstrom blasted a one-timer from the top of the zone to give Sweden a 3-2 lead over the Finns just 10 seconds into the third period.
It ultimately secured Tre Kronor’s second hockey gold, and the first since 1994.
Olympic glory may not be on the line Friday at Santagiulia Arena, but it likely will be one of the more intense round-robin games.
Both nations weren’t thrilled with how they played in the first game of the tournament, with Finland losing 4-1 to Slovakia and Sweden taking a too-close-for-comfort 5-2 victory over Italy.
The long-standing rivals will each be looking for better results in their second games.
And after Finland bested Sweden in overtime at 4 Nations last February, the two countries will get a rematch on the Olympic stage.
“Somehow, it always seems that — for either country to do well — we have to go through each other in any big tournament,” Sweden’s Erik Karlsson said after practice Thursday. “That’s kind of how it’s been throughout the years, throughout the decades. At some point, you’re going to have to beat each other. And whoever wins that game usually has lots of success.”
2026 WINTER OLYMPICS
- See today’s Olympics schedule and medal count
- Breezy Johnson gets engaged in emotional scene after crashing out
- Team USA decides on starting goalie for 2026 Winter Olympics opener
- Two South Korean skiers disqualified after illicit substance found on skis
- American Sophia Kirkby, Winter Olympics’ ‘most eligible bachelorette,’ seeks Valentine’s date
Rangers center Mika Zibanejad, who was 12 the last time Sweden won gold, recalls having that 2006 game on two televisions — one broadcast in Swedish, and one in Finnish — in his childhood home in Huddinge, Sweden.
His mom, Ritva, is from Paltamo, Finland.
She won’t be in Milan on Friday, but she will be watching. Zibanejad assured she has no conflict of rooting interest.
“She’s rooting for me,” he said. “Whatever team I’m on.”
Zibanejad and the rest of the Swedish players acknowledged just how much the history of the rivalry plays into the magnitude of Friday’s meeting.
“They talk about [2006],” Sweden coach Sam Hallam said. “They know about it. They’ve seen all the clips. They’ve seen the goals, seen the last minute. It’s a huge game. It’s like Finland’s World Championship ’95. It’s one of those games that’s one of the biggest games in Swedish hockey history.”
After Filip Gustavsson gave up two goals on 22 shots, Team Sweden looked like it was making a change in goal during practice Thursday.
Devils goalie Jacob Markström had his own net, while Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt shared the other.
According to Finland’s TV4, however, Markström “accidentally” revealed Gustavsson would be the starting goalie vs. Finland.
Hallam, like every other head coach, wouldn’t confirm one way or the other. There’s a chance he will have to stray from how he initially thought he would handle the goaltending.
It’s a notable decision that will have implications on not only the remainder of the tournament, but also the next chapter of the Sweden-Finland battle.
“We have a plan,” Hallam said of his goalies shortly after the team first arrived in Milan. “It could be that you start [Wednesday], you start [against] Finland and then it’s a back-to-back. That’s maybe a good opportunity to change and get a second goalie in. You have a plan, but then something could happen the first shift tonight that breaks that plan. Somebody can wake up tomorrow with a sore throat. If we can get two goalies in during the round robin, yeah, but I’m not looking to play three goalies.”
English (US)